Inflatable chest for pressing machines



4 March 23, .1937. C! .S- MALOTT. JR INFVLATABLE CHEST FOR PRESSINGMACHINES Filed March 28, 1935 am. n su INVENTOR CLIFTON s. MALOTTJR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, .1937

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE amsn TNFLA'rAnLE cnEs'r Fon. mesmo momesClifton S. Malott, Jr., Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The American Imm dryMachinery Company,

Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 28, 1935, SerialNo. 13,505

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates lto a pressing machine and more particularly to anovel arrangement of .l5 members are ilrst moved into juxtaposition andOther features Iof my invention include a novel 25 arrangement andconstruction oiA the head member together with suitable control meanstherefor including mechanism by which the head member is automaticallyexpanded as the press closes. P

30 I have illustrated one embodiment oi' my invention in the drawing,irl-which Fig. 1 is an end elevation partly in section of a pressingmachine of a well known type showing my improvements embodied therein,the control mechanism being 35 shown diagrammatically; Fig. 2l is asectional View through the coacting pressingA members of Fig. 1 showingthem in their closed position during a pressing operation. e e In theembodiment illustrated upon a frame I 40 is provided a stationarypressing b ed II which may be suitably provided with padding, such asthe spring padding I2. Pivotally mounted on rthe frame is la head leverI3 upon which is mounted a head I4 adapted to coact with the pressing445 bed. For moving the head from the open position of Fig.- l to theclosed position of Fig. 2 I provide a pairof toggles I5 and I6pivotail/y connected together at their knuckle l1 and pivotallyconnected at the upperend to the rear portion of 50 the head lever andat the lower end to the frame I0. .A suitable motor I8 is providedformoving the togglesfto straightened position to-close the press. Thismotor has a piston I9 and a.` piston rod 20 which is suitably connectedto the toggles. 55 The supply of motive fluid to motor I3 may beconveniently arranged with two manuals requiring the use of both handsof the operator for safety. This control mechanism is shown ascomprising valve casings 2| and 22 connected in series by conduit 23;Motive fluid is supplied through conduit 24 and is conducted to motor I8through conduit 25. Casings 2l and 22 house normally closed inlet valves2Ia and 22m 4and normally open outlet valves 2 Ib and 22h which aremounted on stems .2Ic and 22e for actuation by manuals 2id and 22d. Aspring 26 biases the toggles to broken position, which corresponds tothe open position of the pressing head.

The pressing head comprises a frame or base member 2'I to which issecured in spaced relation .a non-corrodible ilexible lmetallic sheet28.l This sheet is preferably preformed to substantially arcomplementary contour with respect to the bed I I. The sheet 28 issecured in any suitable manner at itsl free edges to the frame 21 toform a 4iluid tight connection therewith. The sheet 23 preferablyextends beyond the engaged pressing surfaces (best seen in Fig. 2) so asto provide an excess material at the points 29 to allow for expension.It is possible with this construction ol? the pressing head to provide ahead member pressing surface of considerable concavity which is adaptedto coact with the convex surface of the pressing bed to provide apressing operation not only on the substantially flat central portionsof the pressing members but extending downward at an angle on eitherside thereof and on depending side portions so that side ironing may beaccomplished in ironing` articles, for instance, suchas mens shirts.

Motive iluid isv supplied to the chamber 30 which is formed between thesheet 28 and the frame 21, so as to press the sheet 28 into engagementwith work lying upon the bed. 'Ihis uid may be heated or not as desired,but ordinarily heat is desirable in the head pressing-member and may besupplied by introducing ra heated pressing fluid to the chamber 30 whichmay. be heated air, steam or other suitable medium. I have illustrateda. preferred arrangement which contemplates the use of steam. To thisend a steam supply conduit 3 I communicates by way of valve casing 32with a conduit 33 which leads to the chamber 33 in the head.- Casing 32houses a normally closed inlet valve 32a biased toward closed positionby spring 32h and the valve stemV 32e is arranged in thelne of movementof a lug I5a on toggle I5 so that upon movement of the pressing'members-to safe closed position which corresponds to the substantiallystraightenedl I5w will engage stem 32e and open valve 32a. It will beunderstood that pressure fluid might be supplied to the head member byan additional manual operation but I prefer the automatic arrangementshown.

When steam is used in chamber itis necessary to take care of exhauststeam and condensate and tothis end I pro'vide an outlet and drainageconduit 34 which preferably connects with the 'lower rear portion of thechamber 30 so that when the head is in the open position of Fig. llthere is a natural drainage by gravity to conduit 34. This conduitcommimicates by way of casing 35 with an exhaust conduit 3G. In

casing 35 is a normally open outlet valve 35a biased toward normalposition by a spring 35h and having` a stern 35e which is positioned tobe engaged by lug Isa on toggle I6 when the toggles reach substantiallystraightened position in all respects like that described in connectionwith lug |5a and the stem 32e.

Suitable means is provided for holding the pressing head locked inposition adjacent the bed while sheet 28 is being expanded intoengagement with the work lying on the bed. For this purpose I haveillustrated a mechanical latch which comprises a latch member 31pivotally mounted on the frame and adapted to engage a pin 38 on one ofthe toggles when the toggles reach the substantially straightenedposition indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. Connected with latch 31 isa suitable linkage leading to the l front of the machine which comprisesa link 39, bellcrank 40 and link 4i which is connected to treadle 42. Aspring 43 biases the latch to its position adapted to engage pin 3B.

The operation of the mechanism with the parts in the position of Fig. 1is as follows: The operator arranges the work upon the bed Il andactuates manuals 2id and 22d. This supplies motive fluid to motor Ilwhich makes a stroke rearwardly straightening the toggles and bringingthe headr into position close to the bed. As

:' soon as latch 31 engages pin 3B the operator may release the manuals.When the toggles reach the broken line position of Fig. 1 valve 35a isclosed and simultaneously valve 32a is opened. This is effective tosupply pressure fluid tochamber 30 which thus expands the chamber so asto cause pressure contact between the sheet 28 and work lying upon thebed. At the same time if the pressure fluid is heated the sheet 28transmits this heat to the article being processed. Upon completion ofthe pressing operation the opertoggles indicated in broken lines in Fig.l, luging surfaces, one of said pressingmembers comprising a chamberhaving a wall forming a pressing surface of said member, said wall beinga flexible metallic sheet, means for relatively moving said pressingmembers to place their pressing surfaces in' juxtaposition and to holdthem there, and means for thereafter supplying a heated pressure fluidto said chamber whereby simultaneously to heat said sheet and to pressthe same into engagement with the coacting pressing surface.

2. In a pressing machine, a pair of relatively movable pressing membershaving coacting concave and convex pressing surfaces respectively. saidconcave member comprising a chamber having a walll forming the pressingsurface of said member, said wall being a exible metallic sheetconcavely formed to substantially the contour of the coacting convexpressing surface. means for relatively moving said pressing members toplace their pressing surfaces in juxtaposition and to hold them there,and means for thereafter supplying a heated pressure fluid to saidchamber whereby simultaneously to heat said sheet and to press the sameinto engagement with the coacting pressing surface.

3. In a pressing machine, head and bed pressing -rnembers havingcoacting central pressing portions and coacting side pressing portions,said head member comprising a base member and a flexible metallic sheetspaced therefrom and secured at its free edges thereto to form afluidtight chamber, said sheet being preformed vto provide central andside pressing portions substantially conforming to the said coacting bedportions, there being portions of' said sheet extending beyond the`engaged pressing surfaces and providing more than sufficient sheetmaterial for attachment to said base member whereby to accommodateexpansion, means for relatively moving said members to place and to holdsaid pressing members in juxtaposition, and means for thereaftersupplying pressure uid to said chamber to move said sheet into pressurecontact with the coacting pressing portions of said bed'member.

4. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pressing bed on said frame,'a headlever pivotally mounted on said frame, a pressing head carried by saidlever for movement into and out of position adjacent said bed, said headcomprising a chamber, one wall of which forms the pressing surface ofsaid head, said wall being a flexible metallic sheet, mechanism formoving said head from open position to a position adjacent said bed andfor holding it there, steam supply means for said chamber when said headis adjacent said bed, steam and condensate exhaust means for saidchamber including a conduit communicating with the lower rear portionof' said chamber when said head is in open position, a normally openoutlet valve in said conduit, and operative connections between saidmechanism and said valve for closing said valve assaidmechanism movessaid head to position adjacent said bed. l

CLIFTON B. MALOT'LJI.

